Information providing system having a network terminal and network management system which manages a network and provides information of the network to the network terminal

ABSTRACT

A method, apparatus and computer program for displaying partial information related to network equipment connected to a network being managed by a network management system. The partial information is required for network management to be conducted from the network equipment. A managed terminal is included in each network equipment. The network management system collects management information from each network equipment and stores management information therein. When conducting network management, the managed terminal sends a request for network management. The network management system in response transfers a program for managing the network to the managed terminal. The transferred program informs the network management system of the identification of the managed terminal. Partial information is transferred to the managed terminal based on the identification. The managed terminal then displays the transferred partial information.

[0001] The present application is a continuation of application Ser. No.10/026,830, filed Dec. 27, 2001; which is a continuation of applicationSer. No. 09/516,500, filed Mar. 1, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,789;which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/027,202, filed Feb.20, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,827, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a network management system formanaging a network. More particularly, the present invention relates toa method, apparatus and computer program for allowing management of anetwork by use of network equipment, being managed on the network by anetwork management system, by preferentially displaying partialinformation related to the network equipment that is required fornetwork management on the network equipment.

[0003] Generally, a network management system for collecting managementinformation from each of plural network equipment existing in a networkand storing the management information in the network management systemis used for managing a network. Information required for networkmanagement including the collected management information is displayedby the network management system. Particularly, the network managementinformation being displayed includes a configuration of the networkbeing managed in the form of a map in which the network is schematicallyshown.

[0004] A network is divided into hierarchies such as geographicalclassification, management classification and detailed information andis displayed in the form of a map having a plurality of hierarchicallevels as described on pages 60 to 65 in “Hewlet-Packard Journal”, April1990. Such is performed so that a management operator can readily graspa large-scale complicated network configuration at an instant. Atechnique for changing displayed contents of a configuration accordingto a management operator in consideration of a case that a networkmanagement system is used by plural managers is disclosed in Japanesepublished unexamined patent application No. 7-312596. A technique forenabling an arbitrary computer except a network management system, toaccess the same contents as contents displayed by the network managementsystem utilizing a web browser is disclosed on pages 38 and 39 in“Nikkei Computer” November 11 Appendix 1996 as a type of networkmanagement in the environment of an Internet/intranetwork. However, insuch a technique, a web browser which can access only one screen at atime cannot access plural maps simultaneously when, for example, in casea network management system displays a map for each hierarchy level.Thus, there is a problem that the display of a network configurationusing a web browser is difficult to grasp. The utilization of a webbrowser allows network equipment which is managed by a networkmanagement system, to access the same contents displayed by the networkmanagement system and to execute network management.

[0005] For a user who executes network management via network equipmentwhich is managed by a network management system may be either an enduser or a management operator. However, an end user often requirespartial information related to the managed network equipment being usedof information required for network management. Similarly, a managementoperator may also require partial information related to the managednetworks equipment being used. Such partial information is not supplied.Thus, a user who uses managed equipment is required to find the partialinformation related to the managed equipment being used. That is, theuser must find partial information corresponding to the same contents asthat displayed by a network management system. However, as theinformation volume of contents displayed by a network management systemis enormous, the operation to find such partial information is veryburdensome.

[0006] In conventional apparatus disclosed in Japanese publishedunexamined patent application No. 7-312596, only a change in thedisplayed contents performed by a management operator at, for example, anetwork management system which manages network equipment on a networkare effected. Thus, when a management operator executes networkmanagement via a managed network equipment on the network the contentsof the display are not changed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] An object of the present invention is to enable preferentiallydisplaying partial information, related to network equipment beingmanaged on the network by a network management system, equipment ofinformation required for network management when network management isto be executed on the network equipment.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides anetwork which is managed by a network management system. The networkmanagement system collects management information from each of aplurality of network equipment existing in the network and stores themanagement information collected from the plural network equipment.Network management of the network can be accomplished in response to arequest from one of the network equipment by accessing the networkmanagement system and causing the network management system to transfera program for managing the network to the network equipment requestingnetwork management. The network equipment requesting network managementinforms the network management system of identification information foridentifying the network equipment using the transferred program. Thenetwork management system then transfers partial information related tothe network equipment as indicated by the identification information.The partial information includes information required for networkmanagement by the network equipment. The network equipment then displaysthe transferred partial information.

[0009] According to the present invention since partial informationrelated to the network equipment requesting network management istransferred from the network management system to the network equipmentand displayed on the network equipment, a user is not required to findpartial information related to the network equipment being used.Therefore, the user can immediately execute network management.

[0010] If a browser has been installed in the network equipment and aprogram for managing a network has not been installed in the networkequipment, then the network equipment can still effect management of thenetwork according to the present invention. In the present invention thenetwork equipment displays partial information obtained by a program formanaging a network transferred from a network management system. Thus, auser can execute network management via the network equipment utilizingthe browser. Therefore, the present invention provides a networkmanagement tool that can be installed in a network management system.

[0011] It should be noted that the present invention can be implementedusing a computer program written in the JAVA programming language (JAVAis a trademark of Sun Microsystems Inc.) or the ACTIVE X programminglanguage (ACTIVE X is a trademark of Microsoft Inc.). The ACTIVE Xprogramming language is similar in operation to the JAVA programminglanguage. In the present invention the program transferred from thenetwork management system to the network equipment requesting networkmanagement can be written in the form of an “Applet” which causes thedisplay of the partial information on the network equipment. An Appletis a special program transferable on a network that can be executed inthe receiving computer. The Applet is activated when transferred fromthe network management system to the network equipment.

[0012] A first embodiment of the present invention provides a networkmanagement tool that can be installed in a network management system forcollecting management information from each of a plurality of networkequipment connected to a network, storing the management informationtherein and displaying the configuration of the network in the form of aplurality of hierarchically arranged maps. The network management systemincludes a display program which is activated when it is transferred toa network equipment. The display program, which can be an Applet in theJAVA or ACTIVE X programming languages, causes the display ofinformation required for network management on a network equipmentrequesting network management of the network. The network managementsystem also includes a transfer program for transferring the displayprogram to the network equipment requesting management (hereinaftercalled “management request equipment”) and an information program forinforming the display program transferred to the management requestequipment of information required for display to effect networkmanagement.

[0013] The first embodiment of the present invention also provides amanaged terminal included in each of the network equipment connected tothe network. The managed terminal includes a transfer request programfor requesting transfer of the display program when network managementis to be conducted from the network equipment in which the managedterminal is installed.

[0014] The information program of the network management system executesprocessing for generating inclusive relationship information showinginclusive relationships among components on the network related to thenetwork equipment specified by the display program transferred to themanagement request equipment. The network equipment is included in thehierarchically arranged maps that the network management systemdisplays. The information program informs the display program of thegenerated inclusive relationship information. The display programexecutes processing for specifying the management request equipment bycollecting identification information for identifying the managementrequest equipment, informing the information program of the collectedidentification information and causing the display of a partial networkconfiguration related to the management request equipment in the form ofan inclusive tree based upon the inclusive relationship informationinformed by the information program.

[0015] According to the first embodiment, the partial networkconfiguration related to the management request equipment can bepreferentially displayed on the management request equipment.Particularly, as the hierarchically arranged maps are displayed in theform of an inclusive tree shown on one screen in the management requestequipment, a user using the management request equipment can readilygrasp the partial network configuration related to the managementrequest equipment. Management in the above-described manner can beeffected even if a browser being used can access only one screen at atime.

[0016] If a partial network configuration related to the managementrequest equipment is not necessarily required to be displayed on onescreen, the network management system may be constructed so that theinformation program executes processing for informing the displayprogram of a partial map related to the network equipment specified bythe display program transferred to the management request equipment. Thedisplay program executes processing for specifying the managementrequest equipment by collecting identification information foridentifying the management request equipment and informing theinformation program of the collected identification information.Thereafter the display program executes a processing for causing thedisplay of the partial map as informed by the information program.

[0017] Also, if one screen is used and partial network configurationrelated to the management request equipment is not necessarily requiredto be displayed, the network management system may be constructed sothat the information program executes processing for generatinginclusive relationship information showing inclusive relationships amongcomponents included in each of the hierarchically arranged maps that thenetwork management system displays. The information program alsoexecutes a processing for informing the display program of the generatedinclusive relationship information. The display program executesprocessing for causing the display of the configuration of the networkin the form of an inclusive tree based upon the inclusive relationshipinformation from the information program.

[0018] In the above-described first embodiment, the display program canfurther execute a processing for causing the deletion of componentsselected by an external device if the selected components are shown inan inclusive tree, a processing for acquiring the inclusive relationshipinformation from the information program of components selected by anexternal device not shown in an inclusive tree and a processing forcausing the addition of a partial network configuration, related to aselected component of an inclusive tree, to the inclusive relationshipinformation from the information program. The partial networkconfiguration is obtained in response to a request for inclusiverelationship information.

[0019] The information program can further execute a processing forgenerating inclusive relationship information showing inclusiverelationships among components. The inclusive relationship informationis required by the display program which causes the display ofcomponents included in each of the hierarchically arranged maps that anetwork management system displays and requested by the managementrequest equipment for network management. The information program alsoexecutes a processing for informing the display program of the generatedinclusive relationship information. Using the above-described featuresof the present invention a user of the management request equipment candelete an unnecessary part of the information being displayed and canadd information to a part of the information being displayed deemedinsufficient.

[0020] Further, in the above-described first embodiment, the informationprogram can further execute a processing for calculating the number ofcomponents included in a map of a lower order level of thehierarchically arranged maps. The components correspond to components ineach of the higher order level maps. The hierarchically arranged mapsare displayed by the network management system. The components of thelower order level maps are hereinafter called “lower order components”.The information program also executes a processing of informing thedisplay program transferred to the management request equipment of thecalculated number of low order components. The display program executesa processing for causing the display of the number of lower ordercomponents from the information program together with all of thecomponents shown in an inclusive tree. Using the above-describedfeatures of the present invention a user of the management requestequipment can be informed of the number of components included in eachof the components included in an inclusive tree by seeing the displayednumber of lower order components.

[0021] Further, in the above-described first embodiment, the displayprogram can further execute a processing for causing a part of theinformation displayed on the management request equipment related to themanagement request equipment to be highlighted. Using theabove-described features of the present invention a user of themanagement request equipment can readily find a part related to themanagement request equipment within the displayed information.

[0022] A second embodiment of the present invention, similar to thefirst embodiment, provides a network management tool having a networkmanagement system and a managed terminal included in each of the networkequipment as described above. However, the configuration of the networkmanagement system in the second embodiment is different from the firstembodiment in that the network management system periodically collectsevent information from each of the network equipment connected to thenetwork. The event information collected from the network equipment isstored in the network management system as an event log which includesinformation concerning the IP address of the network equipment in whichan event has occurred, the time of the event, and information concerningthe type of event. The display program when transferred to themanagement request equipment and activated by the transfer is informedof event information by the network management system. Thereafter thedisplay program causes the display of event information from the networkmanagement system related to the management request equipment so as topermit network management. The second embodiment allows a user to expandthe details of the event information being displayed on the managementrequest equipment.

[0023] A third embodiment of the present invention, similar to the firstembodiment, provides a network management tool having a networkmanagement system and a managed terminal included in each of the networkequipment as described above. However the configuration of the networkmanagement system in the third embodiment is different from that in thefirst embodiment in that the network management system allows forretrieval of management information which satisfies a particularretrieval condition set by a user at a managed terminal which isincluded in a network equipment management request equipment. Themanagement information which satisfies the set retrieval condition ismanagement information related to the management request equipment. Theuser when using the managed terminal in the third embodiment may set theattribute of a retrieval condition through a retrieval screen displayedon the management request equipment.

[0024] A fourth embodiment of the present invention, similar to thefirst embodiment, provides a network management tool having a networkmanagement system and a managed terminal included in each of the networkequipment as described above. However, the configuration of the networkmanagement system is different from that in the first embodiment in thata network management system determines the performance capabilities ofthe management request equipment and transfers an amount of managementinformation to the management request equipment according to thedetermined performance capabilities. This feature of the fourthembodiment allows for the details of the display of managementinformation to be set in accordance with the performance capabilities ofthe management request equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention will be more apparent from the followingdetailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

[0026]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of anetwork management system and a managed terminal respectively equivalentto a first embodiment;

[0027]FIG. 2 is an explanatory drawing illustrating an example of theconfiguration of a network managed by the network management system;

[0028]FIG. 3 is an explanatory drawing illustrating the construction ofa management information table in the first embodiment;

[0029]FIG. 4 is an explanatory drawing illustrating a hierarchical mapdisplayed on the display of the network management system;

[0030]FIG. 5 is an explanatory drawing illustrating a configurationinformation table in the first embodiment;

[0031]FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the outline of the operation ofthe network management system and the managed terminal in the firstembodiment;

[0032]FIG. 7 is an explanatory drawing illustrating a state after aconfiguration information display program is transferred to the managedterminal in the first embodiment;

[0033]FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the outline of the operation ofthe filtering section of a configuration information filtering programin the first embodiment;

[0034]FIG. 9 is an explanatory drawing illustrating a hierarchicalinformation table in the first embodiment;

[0035]FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the outline of the operationof the hierarchical symbol acquiring section of the configurationinformation filtering program in the first embodiment;

[0036]FIG. 11 is an explanatory drawing illustrating a displayinformation table in the first embodiment;

[0037]FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the outline of the operationof the configuration information display section of the configurationinformation display program in the first embodiment;

[0038]FIG. 13 is an explanatory drawing illustrating the construction ofa configuration information internal table in the first embodiment;

[0039]FIG. 14 is an explanatory drawing illustrating a class/iconrelating internal table in the first embodiment;

[0040]FIG. 15 is an explanatory drawing illustrating a state/icon colorrelating internal table in the first embodiment;

[0041]FIG. 16 is an explanatory drawing illustrating contents displayedon an inclusive tree screen in the first embodiment;

[0042]FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating the outline of symbolexpanding/closing processing executed by the configuration informationdisplay section of the configuration information display program in thefirst embodiment;

[0043]FIG. 18 is an explanatory drawing illustrating contents displayedon the inclusive tree screen after symbol expanding processing isexecuted in the first embodiment;

[0044]FIG. 19 is an explanatory drawing illustrating contents displayedon the inclusive tree screen after symbol closing processing is executedin the first embodiment;

[0045]FIG. 20 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of anetwork management system and a managed terminal respectively equivalentto a second embodiment;

[0046]FIG. 21 is an explanatory drawing illustrating an eventinformation table in the second embodiment;

[0047]FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating the outline of the operationof the filtering section of an event information retrieval program inthe second embodiment;

[0048]FIG. 23 is an explanatory drawing illustrating contents displayedon an event display screen in the second embodiment;

[0049]FIG. 24 is a flowchart illustrating the outline of enlargementprocessing executed by the retrieval and enlargement section of theevent information retrieval program in the second embodiment;

[0050]FIG. 25 is a flowchart illustrating the outline of additionaldisplay processing executed by the event information display section ofan event information display program in the second embodiment;

[0051]FIG. 26 is an explanatory drawing illustrating contents displayedon the event display screen after additional display processing isexecuted in the second embodiment;

[0052]FIG. 27 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of anetwork management system and a managed terminal respectively equivalentto a third embodiment;

[0053]FIG. 28 is an explanatory drawing illustrating contents displayedon a retrieval screen in the third embodiment;

[0054]FIG. 29 is a flowchart illustrating the outline of the operationof a management information sort program in the third embodiment;

[0055]FIG. 30 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of anetwork management system and a managed terminal respectively of afourth embodiment;

[0056]FIG. 31 is an explanatory drawing illustrating an each devicedisplay contents determining table in the fourth embodiment;

[0057]FIG. 32 is a flowchart illustrating the outline of the operationof the network management system and the managed terminal in the fourthembodiment;

[0058]FIG. 33 is an explanatory drawing illustrating a reconstituteddisplay information table in the fourth embodiment; and

[0059]FIG. 34 is an explanatory drawing illustrating contents displayedon an inclusive tree screen displayed in the fourth embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0060] Referring to the drawings, embodiments to which a networkmanagement tool according to the present invention is applied will bedescribed below.

[0061] First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 17, a first embodiment of thepresent invention will be described.

[0062] The first embodiment enables partial network configurationrelated to a network equipment to be preferentially displayed in theform of a containment tree if network management is executed from anarbitrary network equipment provided with a display function(hereinafter called a managed terminal) which is equipment managed by anetwork management system.

[0063]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a networkmanagement system and a managed terminal respectively equivalent to thefirst embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a reference number 10 denotes anetwork management system which collects management information fromeach of a plurality of network equipment 201 and 202 defined as managedequipment including, for example, a computer or a transfer equipmentconnected to a network 200 as shown in FIG. 2. Upon collecting themanagement information, the network management system 10 stores themanagement information therein. As also shown in FIG. 1, a referencenumber 20 denotes a managed terminal which is included in each networkequipment 201 and 202 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 1, the network management system 10 is providedwith a communication control unit 11 for controlling communicationbetween the network management system 10 and the network equipment 201and/or 202 represented by the managed terminal 20, a database 110 forstoring a management information table 111 which stores managementinformation collected from each of the network equipment 201 and 202 anda configuration information table 112 which stores configurationinformation required for displaying the configuration of the network200, a work memory 12 which functions as an operation area when aprocessing is conducted for storing information in the database 110 anda temporary storage area when a processing is conducted for retrievingrequired information from the database 110, a program memory 13 forstoring a management information collection program 131, a configurationinformation filtering program 133, a configuration information displayprogram 136 and a transfer program 137, and a central processing unit(CPU) 14 for controlling access to the work memory 12 and the database110 and for executing each of the programs in the program memory 13.Further, the network management system 10 is provided with a keyboard15, a mouse 16, a display 17 and an input-output controller 18 forcontrolling the input-output of data to and from these elements.

[0065] The management information collection program 131 is a programfor collecting management information from each of the computers 201 and202 which are managed equipment and managing the registration/update ofmanagement information in the management information table 111. Theconfiguration information filtering program 133 is a program foracquiring configuration information required for displaying partialnetwork configuration related to the managed terminal 20 and is providedwith a filtering section 132 and hierarchical symbol acquiring section138. The configuration information display program 136 is a programtransferred to the managed terminal 20 and activated in the managedterminal 20 for causing the display of partial network configurationrelated to the managed terminal 20 on the managed terminal 20 and isprovided with a terminal information gathering section 134 and aconfiguration information display section 135. The transfer program 137is a program for transferring the configuration information displayprogram 136 to the managed terminal 20.

[0066] The configuration information display program 136 can be what isknown in the art as an Applet which is a type of program transferableacross networks according to the JAVA or the ACTIVE X programminglanguages. JAVA is a trademark of Sun Microsystems Inc., an ACTIVE X isa trademark of Microsoft Inc.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 1, the managed terminal 20 is provided with acommunication control unit 21 for controlling communication between themanaged terminal 20 and the network management system 10, a work memory22 which functions as an operation area when the configurationinformation display program 136 transferred from the network managementsystem 10 is executed, a program memory 23 in which a transfer requestprogram 24 for requesting the network management system 10 to transferthe configuration information display program 136 is stored and a CPU 29for controlling access to the work memory 22 and for executing each ofthe programs stored in the program memory 23. Further, the managedterminal 20 is provided with a keyboard 26, a mouse 27, a display 25 andan input-output controller 28 for controlling the input-output of datato and from these elements.

[0068] In the network management system 10, CPU 14 periodically collectsmanagement information from each of the network equipment 201 and 202represented by the managed terminal 20 via the communication controlunit 11 and stores the collected management information in themanagement information table 111 by executing the management informationcollection program 131.

[0069]FIG. 3 shows an example of the construction of the managementinformation table 111. For the purpose of example a TCP/IP communicationprotocol is used in the network 200. Any other communication protocolcan be used. As shown in FIG. 3, the management information table 111includes for each identifier 302 of managed equipment representingnetwork equipment 201 and 202, the host name 303 of managed equipmentand the IP address 304 of the managed equipment.

[0070] Further, CPU 14 displays a map hierarchically representing theconfiguration of the network 200 geographically expanded as shown inFIG. 4 for example based upon management information stored in themanagement information table 111 on the display 17. As shown in FIG. 4,a reference number 401 denotes a map showing the whole configuration,for example, at a country level of the network 200. The detailedconfiguration of the network 200 is hierarchically represented bysequentially pulling down from the map 401 to a map 402 showing partialconfiguration at, for example, an area level and a map 403 showingpartial configuration at, for example, a site level. A table used whenthese maps 401 to 403 are displayed is the configuration informationtable 112 as shown in FIG. 5.

[0071] The configuration information table 112 includes for eachidentifier 502 of managed equipment representing the network equipment201 and 202, the name 503 of a symbol, a high order symbol 504 which isthe identifier of a symbol included in a high order level of a map, thecorresponding node 505 which is the identifier of managed equipmentshown by the symbol, the state 506 of the managed equipment shown by thesymbol and the class 507 of the managed equipment shown by the symbolfor each identifier 502. Each symbol 503 represents, for example, amanaged equipment 20 for representing network equipment 201 and 202included in the map 401 displayed as shown in FIG. 4 based uponmanagement information stored in the management information table 111.

[0072] The operation of the first embodiment will be described below.

[0073]FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the outline of the operation of thenetwork management system 10 and the managed terminal 20. It should benoted that each of the steps of the flowchart correspond to code of acomputer program.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 6, when a user instructs the managed terminal 20to execute network management, first, the transfer request program 24informs the transfer program 137 of the network management system 10 ofa request for transferring the configuration information display program136 (step 601). When the transfer program 137 receives the request fortransferring the configuration information display program 136 from themanaged terminal 20, the transfer program 137 transfers theconfiguration information display program 136 stored in the programmemory 13 to the work memory 22 of the managed terminal 20 (step 602).

[0075] When the configuration information display program 136 istransferred from the network management system 10 to the work memory 22,it is automatically activated. FIG. 7 shows the state of the managedterminal 20 after the configuration information display program 136 hasbeen transferred to the work memory 22 of the managed terminal 20. Whenthe configuration information display program 136 is activated in themanaged terminal 20, first, the terminal information gathering section134 acquires the IP address of the managed terminal 20 and informs theconfiguration information filtering program 133 of the networkmanagement system 10 of the request for transferring configurationinformation together with the acquired IP address (step 603).

[0076] As an alternative to the acquiring of the IP address of themanaged terminal 20 the terminal information gathering section 134 canbe included in the configuration information filtering program 133 onthe network management system 10. The terminal information gatheringsection 134 of this construction acquires the IP address of the managedterminal from a transfer log provided in the network management system10. The transfer log has stored therein log records providinginformation of the terminal that requested transfer of the configurationinformation display program 136. The log records are caused to begenerated by the transfer program 137 when the transfer program 137transfers the configuration information display program 136 to themanaged terminal 20.

[0077] When the configuration information filtering program 133 receivesthe request for transferring configuration information and the IPaddress from the managed terminal 20, the configuration informationfiltering program 33 acquires hierarchical information showing alocation in a map including the symbol of the managed terminal 20 byfiltering required information from the configuration information table112 based upon the received IP address, and informs the configurationinformation display program 136 of the managed terminal 20 of theacquired hierarchical information (step 604).

[0078]FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the outline of the operation of thefiltering section 132 of the configuration information filtering program133. It should be noted that each of the steps of the flowchartcorresponds to code of a computer program.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 8, the filtering section 132 first retrieves anIP address 304 equal to the IP address received from the managedterminal 20 from the management information table 111 and acquires forselecting an identifier 302 corresponding to the retrieved IP address304, that is, the identifier 302 of the managed terminal 20 (step 801).Next, the filtering section 132 acquires a symbol having the identifier302 acquired in step 801 as the corresponding node 505, that is, thesymbol of the managed terminal 20 from the configuration informationtable 112 (step 802). Next, the filtering section 132 specifies thesymbol of the managed terminal 20 acquired in step 802 for a symbol tobe acquired and stores the symbol information of the acquired symbol ina hierarchical information table 901 shown in FIG. 9 (step 803).

[0080] As shown in FIG. 9, contents stored as symbol informationincludes the identifier 902 of an acquired symbol, the symbol name 903of the acquired symbol, the state 904 of managed terminal shown by theacquired symbol, the class 905 of the managed terminal shown by theacquired symbol and the number of subordinate symbols 906 which is thenumber of symbols included in lower order levels of the map under theacquired symbol. The information 902 to 905 except the number ofsubordinate symbols 906, are transferred from the configurationinformation table 112. The number of subordinate symbols 906 can beacquired by checking the number of symbols the high order symbol 504 ofwhich is a symbol to be acquired in the configuration information table112 (step 804).

[0081] When the symbol information of the acquired symbol is stored inthe hierarchical information table 901 as described above, the filteringsection 132 specifies that high order symbols 504 be acquired and storedin the hierarchical information table 901 (step 805).

[0082] If a higher order symbol exist, then steps 803 to 805 arerepeated until no high order symbol 504 exists (step 806). If no higherorder symbols 504 exist then the hierarchical information table 901showing location in a map including the symbol of the managed terminal20 is generated. When the generation of the hierarchical informationtable 901 is finished, the filtering section 132 informs theconfiguration information display section 135 of the managed terminal 20of the generated hierarchical information table 901 (step 807).

[0083] When the configuration information display section 135 receivesthe hierarchical information table 901 from the filtering section 132 ofthe network management system 10 as shown in FIG. 6, the configurationinformation display section 135 stores the received hierarchicalinformation table 901 in the work memory 22 and informs theconfiguration information filtering program 133 of the networkmanagement system 10 of a request for transferring configurationinformation together with the identifier 902 of a symbol in a higherorder level of the map of the managed terminal 20 in the hierarchicalinformation table 901 (a step 605). When the configuration informationfiltering program 133 receives the request for transferringconfiguration information and the identifier 902 of the symbol from themanaged terminal 20, configuration filtering program 133 informs theconfiguration information display section 135 of the managed terminal 20of all symbols included in maps of lower order levels related to asymbol shown by the received identifier 902 by the hierarchical symbolacquiring section 138. That is, all symbols included in lower orderlevel maps related to the symbol of the managed terminal 20 (a step 606)are informed.

[0084]FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the outline of the operation of thehierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 of the configurationinformation filtering program 133. It should be noted that each of thesteps of the flowchart corresponds to code of a computer program.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 10, the hierarchical symbol acquiring section138 extracts a symbol having the identifier 902 of a symbol receivedfrom the managed terminal 20 as a high order symbol 504 from theconfiguration information table 112 (step 1001). Next, the hierarchicalsymbol acquiring section 138 specifies the symbol extracted in the step1001 for a symbol to be acquired and stores symbol information of theacquired symbol in a display information table 1101 shown in FIG. 11(step 1002).

[0086] As shown in FIG. 11, the display information table 1101 includessymbol information consisting of an identifier 1102 of an acquiredsymbol, a symbol name 1103 of the acquired symbol, a class 1104 ofmanaged equipment shown by the acquired symbol, a state 1105 of themanaged equipment shown by the acquired symbol and the number ofsubordinate symbols 1106 which is the number of symbols included inlower order level maps under the acquired symbol. The information 1102to 1105, except the number of subordinate symbols 1106, are picked upfrom the configuration information table 112. The number of subordinatesymbols 1106 can be acquired by checking the number of symbols the highorder symbol 504 of which is an acquired symbol in the configurationinformation table 112 (step 1003).

[0087] When the symbol information of the acquired symbol is stored inthe display information table 1101 as described above, the hierarchicalsymbol acquiring section 138 returns processing to step 1001 to storethe symbol information of the following symbols in the displayinformation table 1101 until no other symbol having the identifier 902of the symbol received from the managed terminal 20 as a high ordersymbol 504 exists (step 1004). When the steps 1001 to 1004 are repeated,the display information table 1101 in which the symbol information ofall symbols included in a map including the symbol of the managedterminal 20 is stored is generated. When the generation of the displayinformation table is finished, the hierarchical symbol acquiring section138 informs the configuration information display section 135 of themanaged terminal 20 of the generated display information table 1101(step 1005).

[0088] As shown in FIG. 6, in the managed terminal 20, when theconfiguration information display section 135 of the configurationinformation display program 136 receives the display information table1101 from the hierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 of the networkmanagement system 10, the configuration information display section 135causes the display of a partial network configuration related to themanaged terminal 20 in the form of an containment tree based upon thehierarchical information table 901 and the display information table1101 (step 607). The display information table 1101 and the hierarchicalinformation table 901 stored in the work memory 22 in the step 605 areequivalent to containment relationship information showing containmentrelationship among symbols related to the managed terminal 20.

[0089]FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the outline of the operation of theconfiguration information display section 135 of the configurationinformation display program 136. It should be noted that each of thesteps of the flowchart corresponds to code of a computer program.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 12, the configuration information displaysection 135 first generates a configuration information internal table1301 shown in FIG. 13 based upon the received display information table1101 and the hierarchical information table 901 stored in the workmemory 22 (step 1201). FIG. 13 shows the construction of theconfiguration information internal table 1301.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 13, the configuration information internal table1301 includes for each identifier 1302, a class 1303 of managedequipment shown by a symbol, a state 1304 of the managed equipment shownby the symbol, a symbol name 1305 of the symbol, a hierarchy 1306 of thesymbol, a number of symbols under the symbol 1307 and a high ordersymbol 1308. Symbols of each identifier 1302 are displayed in the formof an containment tree. In the configuration information internal table1301, a symbol the identifier 1302 of which is zero, ‘0’ is definitelyset beforehand so that the corresponding class 1303 and symbol name 1305are a root 1309. A symbol which is the root 1309 is located at thehighest order of all symbols and therefore, a hierarchy 1306corresponding to the symbol is set to zero, “0”. Also, the information1302 to 1305 and 1307, except the hierarchy 1306 and the high ordersymbol 1308 are transferred from the hierarchical information table 901or the display information table 1101.

[0092] However, the configuration information display section 135 storesa value showing the number of low order symbols 1307 relative to thesymbol which is the root 1309 in the field of the hierarchy 1306according to hierarchical relationship shown in the hierarchicalinformation table 901 and stores the identifier of a symbol in a highorder by one in the field of the high order symbol 1308.

[0093] Next, the configuration information display section 135 locateseach of the symbols to be displayed in an inclusive tree based upon thecontents of the configuration information internal table 1301 generatedin the step 1201 by repeating the steps 1202 to 1211. That is, first,the configuration information display section 135 generates the symbolimage 1602 of the symbol which is the root 1309, locates the generatedsymbol image 1602 in a predetermined position on an inclusive treescreen 1601 shown in FIG. 16 and respectively sets initial values y1 andx1 having the location as an origin at an x-coordinate 1603 and at ay-coordinate 1604 (step 1202). The x-coordinate 1603 and they-coordinate 1604 at which the initial values are set show positions inwhich the symbol image of a symbol in a low order by one of the symbolwhich is the root 1309 is to be located.

[0094] Next, the configuration information display section 135 retrievesa symbol of the identifier of the high order symbol 1308 of which isequal to the identifier 1302 of the symbol which is the root 1309 fromthe configuration information internal table 1301 (step 1203), generatesthe symbol image of the retrieved symbol and locates the generatedsymbol image in a position shown by values set at an x-coordinate 1603and at a y-coordinate 1604 on the inclusive tree screen 1601 (step1204).

[0095] The details of step 1204 provides that the configurationinformation display section 135 determines the icon format of anacquired symbol based upon the contents of a class/icon relatinginternal table 1401 which stores relationships between the class 1402 ofmanaged equipment shown by the symbol and an icon format 1403 shown inFIG. 14. The configuration information display section 135 determinesthe color of the determined icon format based upon the contents of astate/icon color relating internal table 1501 which stores relationshipinformation indicating relationships between the state 1501 of themanaged equipment shown by the acquired symbol and an icon color 1502shown in FIG. 15. Further, the configuration information display section135 creates symbol images 1605 and 1606 shown in FIG. 16 by adding asymbol name 1305 and the number of subordinate symbols 1307. Finally,the configuration information display section 135 locates the createdsymbol images 1605 and 1606 in positions shown by the respective valuesset at an x-coordinate 1603 and at a y-coordinate 1604 on the inclusivetree screen 1601.

[0096] Next, the configuration information display section 135 adds apredetermined value y1 to a value at a y-coordinate 1604 in a step 1205and judges whether a symbol in a lower order level of the maps relatedto the symbol image of which is located in the step 1204 exists or not(step 1206). The judgment can be executed by retrieving a symbol, thehigher order symbol of which has the identifier 1302, of the symbolimage of which is located in the step 1204 for example. If such a symbolexists, the configuration information display section 135 returnsprocessing to step 1204 after adding a predetermined value x1 to a valueat an x-coordinate 1603 (step 1207).

[0097] If no such symbol exists, the configuration information displaysection 135 judges whether a symbol in a higher order level of the maprelated to the symbol image of which is located in step 1204 exists ornot (step 1208). The judgment can be executed by retrieving a symbolhaving the same symbol as the higher order symbol 1308 of the symbol,the symbol image of which, is located in step 1204 as a high ordersymbol 1308 for example. If such a symbol exists, the configurationinformation display section 135 returns processing to step 1204,generates and locates the symbol image of such a symbol. If no suchsymbol exists, the configuration information display section subtracts apredetermined value x1 from a value at an x-coordinate 1603 (step 1209),next retrieves a symbol having the higher order symbol 1308 of thesymbol retrieved in step 1208 as the identifier 1302 (step 1210),repeats processing until a symbol to be next retrieved is the symbolwhich is the root 1309 (step 1211) and returns processing to step 1208.

[0098] Thus, if a symbol to be next retrieved is the symbol which is theroot 1309 (step 1211), the symbol images 1602, 1605 and 1606 of allsymbols to be displayed in an inclusive tree are located on theinclusive tree screen 1601. Afterward, the configuration informationdisplay section 135 completes the inclusive tree screen 1601 byconnecting the symbol images 1602, 1605 and 1606 located on theinclusive tree screen 1601 (step 1212). It is desirable that theconfiguration information display section 135 causes the symbol image1606 equivalent to the managed terminal 20 on the inclusive tree screen1601 shown in FIG. 16 to be highlighted (step 1213).

[0099] As described above, according to the first embodiment, if networkmanagement is executed from the managed terminal 20, which is equipmentmanaged by the network management system 10, a user who uses the managedterminal 20 is not required to retrieve the symbol of the managedterminal 20. Therefore, the user can immediately execute networkmanagement because partial network configuration related to the managedterminal 20 can be preferentially displayed in an inclusive tree.However, as is conceivable a user of the managed terminal 20 may wish toaccess various network configurations outside of the partial networkconfiguration related to the managed terminal 20.

[0100] To enable the display of the configurations of various networksoutside of the partial network configuration in an inclusive tree, ifthe symbol images of all symbols in a lower order level related to asymbol specified by a user are not located on the inclusive tree screen1601, symbol developing processing in which the symbol images of suchsymbols are newly located is further executed according to the firstembodiment. Also, to enable displaying the configurations of variousnetworks outside of the partial network configuration in an inclusivetree, if the symbol images of all symbols in a lower order level of themaps related to a symbol specified by a user are located on theinclusive tree screen 1601, symbol closing processing in which thesymbol images of such symbols are deleted is further executed accordingto the first embodiment.

[0101]FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the outline of the symboldeveloping/closing processing executed by the configuration informationdisplay section 135 of the configuration information display program136. It should be noted that each of the steps of the flowchartcorresponds to code of a computer program.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 17, when a desired symbol is specified byselecting the corresponding symbol image on the inclusive tree screen1601 by a user operating the mouse 27, the configuration informationdisplay section 135 of the configuration information display program 136in the managed terminal 20 acquires the identifier 1302 of the symbolspecified by the user from the configuration information internal table1301 (step 1701). Next, the configuration information display section135 judges whether each of the symbols in lower level maps relate to thesymbol specified by the user. That is whether each of the symbols havingthe symbol specified by the user as the higher order symbol 1308 arestored in the configuration information internal table 1301 or not (step1702). The judgment can be executed by retrieving symbols having thesymbol specified by the user as the respective higher order symbol 1308of the same number as the number of subordinate symbols 1308corresponding to the identifier 1302 of the symbol specified by the userfrom the configuration information internal table 1301.

[0103] First, the symbol developing processing executed when informationindicating a relation between each of the symbols in a lower order levelof the maps related to a symbol specified by a user is not stored in theconfiguration information internal table 1301 will be described.

[0104] In the symbol developing processing, the configurationinformation display section 135 first informs the hierarchical symbolacquiring section 138 of the network management system 10 of theidentifier 1302 of a symbol specified by a user and a request fortransferring configuration information (step 1703). In the networkmanagement system 10, the hierarchical symbol acquiring section 138generates the display information table 1101 storing the symbolinformation of each of the symbols, the higher order symbol 504 ofwhich, has the identifier 1302 informed by the configuration informationdisplay section 135 of the managed terminal 20 as described in theflowchart shown in FIG. 10, and informs the configuration informationdisplay section 1305 of the managed terminal 20 of the generated displayinformation table 1101.

[0105] When the configuration information display section 135 receivesthe display information table 1101 from the hierarchical symbolacquiring section 138 of the network management system 10 (step 1704),the configuration information display section 135 determines the size ofa display area required to locate the symbol images based upon thenumber of symbols, the symbol information of which, is stored in thedisplay information table 1101 (step 1705). Next, the configurationinformation display section 135 acquires all symbols, the symbol imagesof which are located at the y-coordinate of a value larger than they-coordinate of a position at which the symbol image of a symbolspecified by a user is located and shifts the y-coordinates of therespective locations of the symbol images of the acquired symbols sothat a display area of the size determined in step 1705 can be secured(step 1706). Thereafter the configuration information display section135 adds the information of symbols, the symbol information of which isstored in the display information table 1101 received in the step 1704,into the configuration information internal table 1301 (step 1707). Theconfiguration information display section 135 creates and locates thesymbol images of the above symbols (step 1708), and connects them (step1709).

[0106] As described above, the symbol images of all symbols in a lowerorder level of the maps related to one symbol specified by the user arenewly located on the inclusive tree screen 1601 by repeating steps 1707to 1709 for each symbol, the symbol information of which is stored inthe display information table 1101, received from the hierarchicalsymbol acquiring section 138 of the network management system 10 (step1710).

[0107] Next, the symbol closing processing executed when the informationof all symbols in a lower order level of the maps related to a symbolspecified by a user is stored in the configuration information internaltable 1301 will be described.

[0108] In the symbol closing processing, the configuration informationdisplay section 135 repeats processing for first deleting theinformation of each symbol from the configuration information internaltable 1301 (step 1711), deleting the symbol image of each symbol fromthe inclusive tree screen 1601 (step 1712) and deleting a lineconnecting the symbol images of the symbols from the inclusive treescreen 1601 (step 1713) for each symbol in a lower order level of themaps related to a symbol specified by a user (step 1714). Next, theconfiguration information display section 135 acquires all symbols, thesymbol images of which are located at the y-coordinate, of a valuelarger than the y-coordinate of a position in which the symbol image ofthe symbol specified by the user is located and shifts the y-coordinatesof locations of the symbol images of the acquired symbols so that anarea blanked by deleting all the symbol images in the step 1712 isfilled (step 1715). Thus, the symbol images of all the symbols in alower order level of the maps related to the symbol specified by theuser are deleted from the inclusive tree screen 1601.

[0109] For example, when the symbol which is the root is specified by auser moving a cursor 1611 to the symbol image 1602 which is the root onthe inclusive tree screen 1601 shown in FIG. 16 as shown in FIG. 18 andthe user operates the mouse, the symbol developing processing isexecuted. As a result, the symbol image 1612 of a symbol in a lowerorder level of the map, related to the symbol which is the root, isnewly located on the inclusive tree screen 1601. Also, for example, whena symbol which is a sector 1 is specified by a user moving the cursor1611 to a symbol image 1605 which is the sector 1 on the inclusive treescreen 1601 shown in FIG. 16 as shown in FIG. 19 and the user operatesthe mouse, the symbol closing processing is executed. As a result, thesymbol image of a symbol in a lower order level of the maps related tothe symbol which is the sector 1 is deleted from the inclusive treescreen 1601. Thus, the configurations of various networks includingpartial network configuration and whole network configurations can bedisplayed in an inclusive tree by executing the above described symboldeveloping/closing processing.

[0110] Next, referring to FIGS. 9, 10, 12 and 20 to 25, a secondembodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0111] According to the second embodiment, when network management isexecuted from the managed terminal 20, event information related to themanaged terminal 20 collected by the network management system 10 fromnetwork equipment 201 and 202 each including a managed equipment 20 andstored in the network management system 10, can be preferentiallydisplayed.

[0112]FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a networkmanagement system 10 and a managed terminal 20 of the second embodiment.

[0113] In the second embodiment, the configuration of the managedterminal 20 is the same as in the first embodiment. In the secondembodiment, the configuration of the network management system 10 issimilar to that in the first embodiment. However, the configuration ofthe network management system 10 in the second embodiment is differentfrom the first embodiment in that an event information display program2021 is stored in program memory 13 in place of the configurationinformation display program 136. The event information display program2021, similar to the configuration information display program 136, canbe an Applet as per the JAVA and ACTIVE X programming languages. Also anevent information retrieval program 2011 is stored in the program memory13 and an event information table 2001 is stored in the database 110.

[0114] The event information display program 2021 is a program activatedin a managed terminal 20 when it is transferred to the managed terminal20 for causing the display of event information related to the managedterminal 20 on the managed terminal 20. The event information displayprogram 2021 is provided with a terminal information gathering section2022 and an event information display section 2023. The eventinformation retrieval program 2011 is a program for acquiring eventinformation related to a managed terminal 20 and is provided with afiltering section 2012 and a retrieval and enlargement section 2013.

[0115] In the network management system 10, CPU 14 periodically collectsmanagement information from each of network equipment 201 and 202 eachincluding a managed terminal 20 via a communication control unit 11 byexecuting a management information collection program 131 as in thefirst embodiment. The collected management information is stored in amanagement information table 111. In the second embodiment, CPU 14further receives an event log spontaneously informed by each of thenetwork equipment 201 and 202 via the communication control unit 11 byexecuting the management information collection program 131. The eventinformation of the received event log is stored in the event informationtable 2001 shown in FIG. 21. Contents stored as event informationinclude an identifier 2102 uniquely showing an event log, an IP address2103 of managed equipment informed about the event log, an informed time2104 showing time in which the event log is informed, informed contents2105 showing the contents of the event log and an information type 2106showing the type of the event log as shown in FIG. 21. The identifier2102 is a number given so that the closer to the present time theinformed time 2104 is, the smaller the number is.

[0116] The operation of the second embodiment will be described below.

[0117] When a user instructs the managed terminal 20 to execute networkmanagement under the above environment, a transfer request program 24first informs the transfer program 137 of the network management system10 of a request for transferring the event information display program2021. In the network management system 10, when the transfer program 137receives the request for transferring the event information displayprogram 2021 to the managed terminal 20, the transfer program 137transfers the event information display program 2021 stored in theprogram memory 13 to the work memory 22 of the managed terminal 20. Inthe managed terminal 20, when the event information display program 2021is transferred to the work memory 22 from the network management system10, the event information display program 2021 is automaticallyactivated. When the event information display program 2021 is activatedin the managed terminal 20, the terminal information gathering section2022 first acquires the IP address of the managed terminal 20, same asthe terminal information gathering section 134 of the configurationinformation display program 136 in the first embodiment, and informs theevent information retrieval program 2011 of the network managementsystem 10 of the request for transferring event information togetherwith the acquired IP address. In the network management system 10, whenthe event information retrieval program 2011 receives the request fortransferring event information and the IP address from the managedterminal 20, the filtering section 2012 is operated as shown in theflowchart in FIG. 22.

[0118]FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the outline of the operation of thefiltering section 2012 of the event information retrieval program 2011.It should be noted that each of the steps of the flowchart correspondsto code of a computer program.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 22, the filtering section 2012 of the eventinformation retrieval program 2011 first retrieves an IP address 304equal to the IP address received from the managed terminal 20 from themanagement information table 111 and acquires an identifier 302corresponding to the retrieved IP address 304, that is, the identifier302 of the managed terminal 20 (step 2201). Next, the filtering section2012 of the event information retrieval program 2011 informs thefiltering section 132 of a configuration information filtering program133 of a request for configuration information together with theidentifier 302 acquired in step 2201 (step 2202).

[0120] When the filtering section 132 of the configuration informationfiltering program 133 is informed of the request for configurationinformation and the identifier 302 by the filtering section 2012 of theevent information retrieval program 2011, the filtering section 132generates a hierarchical information table 901 showing a location in amap including a symbol having the informed identifier 302 as thecorresponding node 505, that is, the symbol of the managed terminal 20.The filtering section 132 also informs the filtering section 2012 of theevent information retrieval program 2011 of the generated hierarchicalinformation table 901 same as the operations described in the flowchartshown in FIG. 8. When the filtering section 2012 of the eventinformation retrieval program 2011 is informed of the hierarchicalinformation table 901 from the filtering section 132 of theconfiguration information filtering program 133 (step 2203), thefiltering section 2012 informs a hierarchical symbol acquiring section138 of the configuration information filtering program 133 of a requestfor configuration information together with the identifier 902 of asymbol in a high order related to the symbol of the managed terminal 20in the hierarchical information table 901 (step 2204).

[0121] When the hierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 of theconfiguration information filtering program 133 is informed of therequest for configuration information and the identifier 902 of thesymbol by the filtering section 2012 of the event information retrievalprogram 2011, the hierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 generatesthe display information table 1101 which stores the symbol informationof all symbols, the higher order symbol 504 of which has the informedidentifier 902 of the symbol, that is, all symbols included in a mapincluding the symbol of the managed terminal 20. The hierarchical symbolacquiring section 138 also informs the filtering section 2012 of theevent information retrieval program 2011 of the generated displayinformation table 1101 same as the operations described in the flowchartshown in FIG. 10.

[0122] When the filtering section 2012 of the event informationretrieval program 2011 is informed of the display information table 1101by the hierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 of the configurationinformation filtering program 133 (step 2205), the filtering section2012 of the event information retrieval program 2011 acquires theidentifier of managed equipment corresponding to each symbol, the symbolinformation of which is stored in the display information table 1101(step 2206). In step 2206, the filtering section 2012 of the eventinformation retrieval program 2011 retrieves the node 505 correspondingto a symbol having an identifier equivalent to an identifier 1102 storedin the display information table 1101 as the identifier 502 from aconfiguration information table 112. Next, the filtering section 2012 ofthe event information retrieval program 2011 acquires the IP address ofeach managed equipment, the identifier of which is acquired in step 2206(step 2207).

[0123] In step 2207, the filtering section 2012 of the event informationretrieval program 2011 retrieves an IP address 304 corresponding to anidentifier 302 equal to the corresponding node 505 from the managementinformation table 111 because the corresponding node 505 retrieved instep 2206 is equivalent to an identifier 302 in the managementinformation table 111. The IP address 304 of any managed equipmentexisting in a partial network related to the managed terminal 20 isacquired by the above operation.

[0124] Afterward, the filtering section 2012 of the event informationretrieval program 2011 checks whether event information corresponding toany managed equipment, the IP address 304 of which is acquired in step2207 is stored in the event information table 2001 or not. If eventinformation has been stored, the filtering section 2012 informs theevent information display program 2021 of the managed terminal 20 of alist of such event information. That is, the filtering section 2012 ofthe event information retrieval program 2011 retrieves event informationstored in the event information table 2001 in the order of identifiers2102 (step 2208), checks whether an IP address 2103 of the retrievedevent information is equal to any of the IP addresses 304 acquired (step2207) or not (step 2209) and if so, the filtering section stores theidentifiers 2102 of the retrieved event information (step 2210).

[0125] After steps 2208 to 2210 are repeated for each event informationstored in the event information table 2001 (step 2211), the filteringsection 2012 of the event information retrieval program 2011 extractsevent information shown by the identifiers 2102 based upon all theidentifiers 2102 stored in (step 2210) from the event information table2001 and informs the event information display program 2021 of themanaged terminal 20 of a list of the extracted event information (step2212). In the managed terminal 20, when the event information displaysection 2023 of the event information display program 2021 receives thelist of event information from the filtering section 2012 of the networkmanagement system 10, the managed terminal 20 displays the list of thereceived event information in an event list display area 2302 on anevent display screen 2301 as shown in FIG. 23.

[0126] As described above, event information, related to a managedterminal 20 is collected from the network equipment 201 and 202including the managed terminal 20 by the network management system 10and stored therein. Such event information can be preferentiallydisplayed according to the second embodiment when network management isexecuted from the managed terminal 20. A user who uses the managedterminal 20 is not required to retrieve the event information of themanaged terminal 20 and can immediately execute network management.

[0127] However, it is conceivable that a user of a managed terminal 20may want to access various event information except event informationrelated to the managed terminal 20. To enable displaying of the variousevent information, in the second embodiment, enlargement processing forgradually enlarging event information to be displayed according to theinstruction of a user is further executed.

[0128]FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing the outline of enlargementprocessing executed by the retrieval and enlargement section 2013 of theevent information retrieval program 2011. It should be noted that eachof the steps of the flowchart corresponds to code of a computer program.

[0129] As shown in FIG. 23, a display object enlarging button 2303 usedby a user to instruct the enlargement of event information to bedisplayed on the event display screen 2301. When a user instructs theenlargement of event information to be displayed by actuating thedisplay object enlarging button 2303 via the mouse 27, the eventinformation display program 2021 of the managed terminal 20 informs theretrieval and enlargement section 2013 of the event informationretrieval program 2011 of the network management system 10 of a requestfor enlarging a displayed object.

[0130] In the network management system 10, when the retrieval andenlargement section 2013 of the event information retrieval program 2011receives the request for enlarging the displayed object from the eventinformation display program 2021 of the managed terminal 20 as shown inFIG. 24 (step 2401), the filtering section 2012 of the event informationretrieval program 2011 retrieves a symbol in a higher order level maprelated to the enlarged symbol in the last enlargement processing fromthe hierarchical information table 901 informed by the filtering section132 of the configuration information filtering program 133 in theoperation described in the flowchart shown in FIG. 22. That is, thehierarchical information table 901 shows a location in a map includingthe symbol of the managed terminal 20 and enlarges the above symbol(step 2402).

[0131] In the step 2402, in case this enlargement processing is thefirst enlargement processing after displaying a list of eventinformation related to a managed terminal 20, the retrieval andenlargement section 2013 receives and enlarges a symbol in a higherorder level maps related to the symbol of the managed terminal 20. Next,the retrieval and enlargement section 2013 acquires the identifiers ofall symbols included in the least significant map sequentially pulleddown from each symbol, except a symbol to be retrieved and enlarged, ofall symbols included in a map including the above symbol to be retrievedand enlarged (step 2403).

[0132] In step 2403, the retrieval and enlargement section 2013 firstinforms the hierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 of theconfiguration information filtering program 133 of a request forconfiguration information and the identifier 902 of a symbol in a higherorder level map related to the symbol to be retrieved and enlarged. Ifthe symbol information of a symbol in a higher order level map relatedto the symbol to be retrieved and enlarged is not stored in thehierarchical information table 901, the retrieval and enlargementsection 2013 informs that the above symbol in a higher order level mapis the most significant symbol in place of the identifier 902.

[0133] When the hierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 is informed ofthe request for configuration information and the identifier 902 of thesymbol by the retrieval and enlargement section 2013, the hierarchicalsymbol acquiring section 138 generates the display information table1101 which stores the symbol information of all symbols, the higherorder symbol 504 of which includes the informed identifier 902 of thesymbol. In other words, all symbols included in a map including thesymbol to be retrieved and enlarged as the operation described in theflowchart shown in FIG. 10. The hierarchical symbol acquiring section138 also informs the retrieval and enlargement section 2013 of thegenerated display information table 1101 when the hierarchical symbolacquiring section 138 is informed of information that the symbol is themost significant symbol by the retrieval and enlargement section 2013.The hierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 generates the displayinformation table 1101 which stores the symbol information of allsymbols, of which no higher order symbol 504 exists, and informs such tothe display information table.

[0134] When the retrieval and enlargement section 2013 is informed ofthe display information table 1101 by the hierarchical symbol acquiringsection 138, the retrieval and enlargement section 2013 informs thehierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 of a request for configurationand the identifier 1102 of each symbol, except the symbol to beretrieved and enlarged, of all symbols the symbol information of whichis stored. This is done since the symbol information of the symbol to beretrieved and enlarged is also stored in the display information table1101. Thus, the display information table 1101 which stores the symbolinformation of symbols in a lower order level of the maps including thesymbol to be retrieved and enlarged is informed by the hierarchicalsymbol acquiring section 138.

[0135] As described above, if the display information table 1101 isinformed by the hierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 of theidentifiers 1102 of all symbols included in the least significant mapsequentially pulled down from each symbol, except the symbol to beretrieved and enlarged then symbols included in a map including thesymbol to be retrieved and enlarged can be acquired from the informeddisplay information table 1101. When the number of subordinate symbols1106 in the symbol information is zero “0”, acquiring cannot occur. Theretrieval and enlargement section 2013 acquires the identifier ofmanaged terminal corresponding to each symbol of all the identifiers1102 acquired in step 2403 respectively (step 2404).

[0136] In step 2404, the retrieval and enlargement section 2013retrieves the node 505 corresponding to a symbol, the identifier 502 ofwhich is equal to each identifier 1102 acquired in step 2403 from theconfiguration information table 112. Next, the retrieval and enlargementsection 2013 acquires the IP address of each managed terminal, theidentifier of which is acquired in step 2404 (step 2405).

[0137] In step 2405, the retrieval and enlargement section 2013retrieves the IP address 304 corresponding to an identifier 302 which isequivalent to the corresponding node 505 from the management informationtable 111. This is done since the corresponding node 505 retrieved instep 2404 is equivalent to an identifier 302 in the managementinformation table 111. The IP addresses 304 of the managed terminalcorresponding to all symbols included in the least significant mapsequentially pulled down from each symbol are acquired by the aboveprocessing. All symbols are acquired except a symbol to be retrieved andenlarged.

[0138] Afterward, the retrieval and enlargement section 2013 checkswhether event information corresponding to each managed terminal, the IPaddress 304 of which is acquired in the step 2405, is stored in theevent information table 2001 or not. If so, the retrieval andenlargement section 2013 informs the event information display program2021 of the managed terminal 20 about a list of such event information.

[0139] The retrieval and enlargement section 2013 retrieves eventinformation stored in the event information table 2001 in ascendingorder of identifiers 2102 (step 2406). The retrieval and enlargementsection 2013 also checks whether the IP address 2103 in the retrievedevent information is equal to any of the IP addresses acquired in step2405 or not (step 2407). If so, the identifier 2102 in the retrievedevent information is stored (step 2408).

[0140] After steps 2406 to 2408 are repeated for each event informationstored in the event information table 2001 (step 2409), the retrievaland enlargement section 2013 extracts event information shown by all theidentifiers 2102 stored in step 2408 from the event information table2001 and informs the event information display program 2021 of themanaged terminal 20 of a list of the extracted event information (step2410). In the managed terminal 20, when the event information displaysection 2023 of the event information display program 2021 receives thelist of event information from the retrieval and enlargement section2013 of the network management system 10, the managed terminal 20 addsthe received list of event information to the event list display area2302 on the event display screen 2301 and displays it.

[0141]FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing the outline of additional displayprocessing executed when the event information display section 2023 addsand displays the list of the event information. It should be noted thateach of the steps of the flowchart corresponds to code of a computerprogram.

[0142] As shown in FIG. 25, when the event information display section2023 receives the list of event information from the retrieval andenlargement section 2013 of the network management system 10 (step2501), the event information display section 2023 sorts the receivedevent information and any event information already displayed in theevent list display area 2302 on the event display screen 2301 inascending order of identifiers 1802 (step 2502). Next, the eventinformation display section 2023 judges whether each event informationsorted in step 2506 is event information to be additionally displayed ornot (step 2503). This judgment can be executed by judging whether theabove sorted event information is the event information received in thestep 2501 or not. If the above event information is event information tobe additionally displayed, the event information display section 2023displays the event information and changes the color of the backgroundof the event information (step 2504). If the event information is notevent information to be additionally displayed, the event informationdisplay section 2023 displays the event information without a change inthe color of the background of the event information (step 2505). Whenthe display of event information is finished as described above, theevent display screen 2301 shown in FIG. 23 is changed as shown in FIG.26.

[0143] In FIG. 26 the event information 5, 10 and 16 on the eventdisplay screen 2301 indicate that they are event informationadditionally displayed after a user activates the display objectenlarging button 2303 via the mouse 27. According to processing shown inthe flowchart in FIG. 25, the event information display section 2023changes the color of the background of event information when eventinformation to be additionally displayed is displayed. This is executedto permit a user to easily identify the event information that is eventinformation additionally displayed. However, the present invention isnot limited to this embodiment, for example, event information to beadditionally displayed may be underlined and the color of the eventinformation itself may be also changed. Event information to bedisplayed can be gradually enlarged by executing the above enlargementprocessing and additional display processing.

[0144] Next, referring to FIGS. 27 to 29, a third embodiment of thepresent invention will be described.

[0145] The third embodiment enables preferentially displaying managementinformation related to a managed terminal and matched with a retrievalcondition set by a user who uses the managed terminal 20 when networkmanagement is executed from the managed terminal 20. FIG. 27 is a blockdiagram showing the configuration of a network management system 10 anda managed terminal 20 included in the third embodiment.

[0146] In the third embodiment, the configuration of the managedterminal 20 is the same as in the first embodiment. Also, in the thirdembodiment, the configuration of the network management system 10 issimilar to that in the first embodiment. However, the configuration ofthe network management system in the third embodiment is different fromthat in the first embodiment in that a management information displayprogram 2702 is stored in program memory 13 in place of a configurationinformation display program 136 and a management information sortprogram 2701 is stored in the program memory 13. Here again themanagement information display program 2701, similar to theconfiguration information display program 136, can be an Appletaccording to the JAVA and ACTIVE X programming languages.

[0147] The management information display program 2702 is a programactivated in a managed terminal 20 when it is transferred to the managedterminal 20 for causing the display of management information matchedwith a retrieval condition set by a user using the managed terminal 20.The management information display program 2702 is provided with aterminal information gathering section 2703 and a management informationdisplay section 2704. The management information sort program 2701 is aprogram for sorting management information so that the display ofmanagement information related to a managed terminal 20 is effected. Inthe network management system 10, CPU 14 periodically collectsmanagement information from each network equipment 201 and 202 eachincluding a managed terminal 20 via a communication control unit 11 byexecuting a management information collection program 131 as in thefirst embodiment and stores the collected management information in amanagement information table 111.

[0148] The operation of the third embodiment will be described below.

[0149] When a user instructs a managed terminal 20 to execute networkmanagement under the above environment, a transfer request program 24first informs the transfer program 137 of the network management system10 of a request for transferring the management information displayprogram 2702. In the network management system 10, when the transferprogram 137 receives the request for transferring the managementinformation display program 2702 from the managed terminal 20, thetransfer program 137 transfers the management information displayprogram 2702 stored in the program memory 13 to the work memory 22 ofthe managed terminal 20. In the managed terminal 20, the managementinformation display program 2702 is automatically activated when it istransferred from the network management system 10 to the work memory 22.

[0150] In the managed terminal 20, when the management informationdisplay program 2702 is activated, the terminal information gatheringsection 2703 first causes the display of a retrieval screen 2801 shownin FIG. 28 for example on a display 25 after acquiring the IP address ofthe managed terminal 20 similar to the terminal information gatheringsection 134 of the configuration information display program 136 in thefirst embodiment. The management information display program 2702 thenwaits for a user to set a retrieval condition and instruct the executionof a retrieval using the set retrieval condition.

[0151] As shown in FIG. 28, the retrieval screen 2801 includes aretrieval condition attribute setting area 2802 for allowing a user toset the attribute of a retrieval condition, an attribute value inputarea 2803 for allowing a user to input an attribute value equivalent tothe retrieval condition, a retrieval button 2804 for allowing a user toinstruct the execution of retrieval and a retrieval result display area2805 for displaying the result of the retrieval. On the retrieval screen2801 shown in FIG. 28, an example is illustrated where a user sets an IPaddress as the attribute of a retrieval condition and inputs “AA. AB.*.*” as an attribute value so as to set a retrieval condition. The abovecode means that a user wants to retrieve an IP address in the format of“AA. AB.*.*”. After the user sets the retrieval condition, the executionof the retrieval by activating the retrieval button 2804 via the mouse27 is instructed.

[0152] In the managed terminal 20, when the user instructs the executionof the retrieval, the terminal information gathering section 2703informs the management information sort program 2701 of the networkmanagement system 10 of a request for transferring managementinformation together with the already acquired IP address and theretrieval condition set by the user. In the network management system10, when the management information sort program 2701 receives therequest for transferring management information, the IP address and theretrieval condition from the managed terminal 20, the network managementsystem 10 is operated as shown in the flowchart in FIG. 29.

[0153]FIG. 29 is a flowchart showing the outline of the operation of themanagement information sort program 2701. It should be noted that eachof the steps of the flowchart corresponds to code of a computer program.

[0154] As shown in FIG. 29, the management information sort program 2701first acquires the IP address of any managed equipment existing in apartial network related to the managed terminal 20 by executing the sameoperation in steps 2901 to 2907 as steps 2201 to 2207 shown in FIG. 22executed by the filtering section 2012 of the event informationretrieval program 2011. That is, the management information sort program2701 retrieves an IP address 304 equal to the IP address received fromthe managed terminal 20 from the management information table 111 andacquires an identifier 302 corresponding to the retrieved IP address304. The identifier 302 is of the managed terminal 20 (step 2901). Next,the management information sort program 2701 informs the filteringsection 132 of the configuration information filtering program 133 of arequest for configuration information together with the identifier 302acquired in step 2901 (step 2902).

[0155] As the hierarchical information table 901 showing a location in amap including the symbol of the managed terminal 20 is informed by thefiltering section 132 of the configuration information filtering program133 (step 2903), the management information sort program 2701 informsthe hierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 of the configurationinformation filtering program 133 of the request for configurationinformation together with the identifier 902 of a symbol in a higherorder level map which includes a symbol of the managed terminal 20 inthe hierarchical information table 901 (step 2904). As the displayinformation table 1101 which stores the symbol information of allsymbols included in a map including the symbol of the managed terminal20 is supplied by the hierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 of theconfiguration information filtering program 133 (step 2905), themanagement information sort program 2701 acquires the identifier ofmanaged equipment corresponding to each symbol, the symbol informationof which is stored in the display information table 1101 (step 2906).

[0156] In step 2906, the management information sort program 2701retrieves the node 505 corresponding to a symbol provided with anidentifier 502 equal to an identifier 1102 stored in the displayinformation table 1101 from the configuration information table 112.Next, the management information sort program 2701 acquires the IPaddress of each managed equipment the identifier of which is acquired instep 2906 (step 2907). In the step 2907, as the corresponding node 505retrieved in step 2906 is equivalent to an identifier 302 in themanagement information table 111, the management information sortprogram 2701 retrieves the IP address 304 corresponding to an identifier302 equal to the corresponding node 505 from the management informationtable 111. The IP address 304 of any managed equipment existing in apartial network related to the managed terminal 20 is acquired by theabove operation.

[0157] Thereafter, the management information sort program 2701generates a list of the management information matched with theretrieval condition received from the managed terminal 20 and retrievedfrom the management information table 111 (step 2908). In step 2908, asshown in FIG. 28, retrieval condition set by a user on a retrievalscreen 2801 provides, for example, that the management information sortprogram 2701 retrieves an IP address 304 according to a format of “AA.AB.*.*”, that is, “AA. AB. AC. AD”, “AA. AB. AC. AE”, “AA. AB. AC. AF”,“AA. AB. AG. AH”, “AA. AB. AG. AI” and “M. AB. AJ. AK”.

[0158] Next, the management information sort program 2701 checks whetherthe IP address 304 corresponding to each management information, thelist of which is generated in step 2908 (step 2911), is equal to any ofthe IP addresses 304 acquired in step 2907 or not (step 2909). If so themanagement information sort program 2701 shifts such managementinformation at the head of the list (step 2910). The managementinformation related to the managed terminal 20 is located in a higherorder by sorting the list of management information generated in step2908 as described above. Thereafter, the management information sortprogram 2701 informs the management information display program 2702 ofthe managed terminal 20 of a sorted list of management information (step2911).

[0159] In the managed terminal 20, when the management informationdisplay section 2704 of the management information display program 2702receives the list of management information from the managementinformation sort program 2701 of the network management system 10, themanaged terminal 20 displays the list of management information in theretrieval result display area 2805 on the retrieval screen 2801 shown inFIG. 28 as the result of retrieval. As described above, according to thethird embodiment, management information related to a managed terminalcan be located in a higher order when a list of management informationmatched with a retrieval condition set by a user is displayed on themanaged terminal 20 and when network management is executed from themanaged terminal 20. The management information is displayed in suchmanner to allow the user of the managed terminal 20 to readily recognizemanagement information related to the managed terminal 20.

[0160] In the third embodiment, the management information sort program2701 of the network management system 10 may inform a list of managementinformation related to a managed terminal 20 and a list of othermanagement information separately to the managed terminal 20. Themanagement information display section 2704 of a managed terminal 20 mayalso display a boundary line between both lists.

[0161] Next, referring to FIGS. 30 to 34, a fourth embodiment of thepresent invention will be described.

[0162] The fourth embodiment enables preferentially displaying partialnetwork configuration related to a managed terminal 20 in an inclusivetree as in the first embodiment when network management is executed fromthe managed terminal 20. The fourth embodiment also allows for thecontents of the display of the partial network configuration to bechanged according to the performance of the managed terminal 20.

[0163]FIG. 30 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a networkmanagement system 10 and a managed terminal 20 of the fourth embodiment.The configuration of a managed terminal 20 in the fourth embodiment isthe same as in the first embodiment. Also, the configuration of thenetwork management system 10 in the fourth embodiment is similar to thatin the first embodiment. However, the network management system of thefourth embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment in thatan each device display contents determining table 3001 is stored in thedatabase 110. FIG. 31 shows an example of the each device displaycontents determining table 3001.

[0164] As shown in FIG. 31, the each device display contents determiningtable 3001 is a matrix table relating contents displayed on a managedterminal 20 to keys of the memory capacity 3102 of work memory 22 andthe CPU format 3103 of CPU 29. For example, on a managed terminal 20 thememory capacity 3102 of the work memory 22 is 10 MB or less and the CPUformat of CPU 29 is CPU-A. Partial network configuration related to themanaged terminal 20 is displayed in an inclusive tree in which symbolimages, each of which includes a symbol name, are connected.

[0165] The operation of the fourth embodiment will be described below.

[0166]FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing the outline of the operation of thenetwork management system 10 and a managed terminal 20 in the fourthembodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that each of thesteps of the flowchart corresponds to code of a computer program.

[0167] As shown in FIG. 32, when a user instructs the managed terminal20 to execute network management, a transfer request program 24 firstinforms the transfer program 137 of the network management system 10 ofa request for transferring a configuration information display program136 as in the first embodiment (step 3201). In the network managementsystem 10, when the transfer program 137 receives the request fortransferring the configuration information display program 136 from themanaged terminal 20, the network management system 10 transfers theconfiguration information display program 136 stored in the programmemory 13 to the work memory 22 of the managed terminal 20 as in thefirst embodiment (step 3202).

[0168] In the managed terminal 20, when the configuration informationdisplay program 136 is transferred from the network management system 10to the work memory 22, the configuration information display program 136is automatically activated. When the configuration information displayprogram 136 is activated, a terminal information gathering section 134first acquires the IP address of the managed terminal 20 as in the firstembodiment. However, in the fourth embodiment, the terminal informationgathering section further gathers the CPU format of CPU 29 and thememory capacity of the work memory 22. The terminal informationgathering section 134 informs the configuration information filteringprogram 133 of the network management system 10 of a request fortransferring configuration information together with the gathered IPaddress, CPU format and memory capacity (step 3203).

[0169] In the network management system 10, when the configurationinformation filtering program 133 receives the request for transferringconfiguration information together with the IP address, CPU format andmemory capacity from the managed terminal 20, the network managementsystem 10 first determines contents to be displayed on the managedterminal 20 by retrieving the each device display contents determiningtable 3001 using the CPU format and the memory capacity respectivelyreceived from the managed terminal 20 as keys in the fourth embodiment(step 3204). Thereafter, the configuration information filtering program133 generates a hierarchical information table 901 showing a location ina map including the symbol of the managed terminal 20 by the filteringsection 132 which filters required information from a configurationinformation table 112 based upon the IP address received from themanaged terminal 20 as in the first embodiment. However, in the fourthembodiment, the configuration information filtering program 133 furtherinforms the configuration information display program 136 of the managedterminal 20 of a relocated (modified) hierarchical information table 901after the generated hierarchical information table 901 is relocatedaccording to the contents determined in the step 3204 (step 3205).

[0170] For example, in a managed terminal 20 the memory capacity 3102 ofthe work memory 22 is 10 MB or less and the CPU format of CPU 29 isCPU-A. A partial network configuration related to the managed terminal20 is displayed in an inclusive tree in which symbol images, each ofwhich includes a symbol name, are connected. The symbol information ofeach symbol includes the identifier 902 and the symbol name 903 in therelocated hierarchical information table 901. In the managed terminal20, when the configuration information display section 135 receives thehierarchical information table 901 from the configuration informationfiltering program 133 of the network management system 10, theconfiguration information display section 135 stores the receivedhierarchical information table 901 in the work memory 22 and informs theconfiguration information filtering program 133 of a request fortransferring configuration information together with the identifier 902of a symbol in a high order of the symbol of the managed terminal 20 inthe hierarchical information table 901 as in the first embodiment (step3206).

[0171] In the network management system 10, when the configurationinformation filtering program 133 receives the request for transferringconfiguration information and the identifier 902 of the symbol from themanaged terminal 20, the hierarchical symbol acquiring section 138 ofthe configuration information filtering program generates a displayinformation table 110 storing the symbol information of all symbolsincluded in a map pulled down from the symbol shown by the receivedidentifier 902. Thus, the display includes all symbols included in a mapincluding the symbol of the managed terminal 20 as in the firstembodiment. However, in the fourth embodiment, the hierarchical symbolacquiring section 138 further informs the configuration informationdisplay program 136 of the managed terminal 20 of a relocated (modified)display information table 1101 after relocating the generated displayinformation table 1101 according to contents determined in the step 3204(step 3207).

[0172] For example, in a managed terminal 20 the memory capacity 3102 ofthe work memory 22 is 10 MB or less and the CPU format of CPU 29 isCPU-A. Partial network configuration related to the managed terminal 20is displayed in an inclusive tree in which symbol images, each of whichincludes only a symbol name, are connected. The symbol information ofeach symbol includes the identifier 1102 and the symbol name 1103 asshown in FIG. 33 in the relocated display information table 1101.

[0173] In the managed terminal 20, the configuration information displaysection 135 of the configuration information display program 136receives the display information table 1101 from the configurationinformation filtering program 133 of the network management system 10.The configuration information display section 135 displays partialnetwork configuration related to the managed terminal 20 based upon thedisplay information table 1101 and the hierarchical information table901 stored in the work memory 22 in step 3206. The partial networkconfiguration is displayed in an containment tree as in the firstembodiment (step 3208).

[0174] In step 3208, the configuration information display section 135of the configuration information display program 136 executes theoperation shown in the flowchart in FIG. 12. However, in the fourthembodiment, the contents of the configuration information internal table1301 generated in the step 1201 are different according to thehierarchical information table 901 and the display information table 110respectively received from the configuration information filteringprogram 133 of the network management system 10. The symbol imagecreated in the step 1204 is also different according to theconfiguration information internal table 1301.

[0175] For example, in a managed terminal 20 the memory capacity 3102 ofthe work memory 22 is 10 MB or less and the CPU format of CPU 29 isCPU-A. As the symbol information of each symbol respectively includesthe identifier 902, 1102 and the symbol name 903, 1103 in the receivedhierarchical information table 901 and display information table 1101,the configuration information display section 135 generates aconfiguration information internal table 1301 including items of theidentifier 1302, the symbol name 1305, the hierarchy 1306 and the higherorder symbol 1308. Also, as the configuration information displaysection 135 generates and locates a symbol image including the symbolname 1305, if such a configuration information internal table 1301 isgenerated, an containment tree screen 1601 in which symbol images 3401,each of which includes the symbol name 1305 connected as shown in FIG.34, is displayed on the display 25 of the managed terminal 20.

[0176] As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, partialnetwork configuration related to a managed terminal 20 can bepreferentially displayed in an containment tree as in the firstembodiment. When network management is executed from the managedterminal 20 a user using the managed terminal 20 is not required toretrieve the symbol of the managed terminal 20 and can immediatelyexecute network management.

[0177] Further, according to the fourth embodiment, contents to bedisplayed can be changed according to the performance of the managedterminal 20. For example, a part of display information can be deletedwhen partial network configuration related to the managed terminal 20 isdisplayed in an inclusive tree. Thus, the load of the managed terminal20 can be reduced.

[0178] In the fourth embodiment, the performance of a managed terminalis defined by the memory capacity 3102 of its work memory 22 and the CPUformat 3103 of CPU 29. However, the fourth embodiment is not limited toa situation where only information defining the performance of a managedterminal 20 effects the processing of the configuration informationdisplay program 136. Any other information can be collected by theterminal information gathering section 134 and used to effect processingof the configuration information display program 136.

[0179] As described above, the fourth embodiment is based upon theapplication of the first embodiment. The second and third embodimentsare respectively independent of the first embodiment. However, it shouldbe well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that two ormore of the first (or the fourth) to the third embodiments may becombined.

[0180] As described above, the present invention provides for partialinformation related to a managed terminal of information required fornetwork management to be preferentially displayed on the managedterminal when network management is executed from the managed terminal.The present invention permits a user to easily manage the network by useof the network management system at any location in the network.

[0181] The present invention further provides for partial networkconfiguration related to a managed terminal to be preferentiallydisplayed in the form of an containment tree when the configuration of anetwork displayed in the form of a hierarchical map by a networkmanagement system is displayed on the managed terminal. The presentinvention permits a user to easily grasp the layout of the partialnetwork configuration related to the managed terminal on one screen.

[0182] While the present invention has been described in detail andpictorially in the accompanying drawings it is not limited to suchdetails since many changes and modifications recognizable to those ofordinary skill in the art may be made to the invention without departingfrom the spirit and the scope thereof.

We claim:
 1. A network management tool on a storage medium for executionby a network management system which collects management informationfrom each of a plurality of network equipment connected to a network,and stores the collected management information, said network managementtool comprising: a display program which is activated when transferredto a network equipment requesting network management, said displayprogram causes the display of information required for networkmanagement on said network equipment; a transfer program fortransferring said display program to said network equipment; and aninformation program for informing said display program transferred tosaid network equipment of information required for network management tobe displayed on said network equipment, wherein said information programexecutes processing for informing said display program of a partial maprelated to said network equipment, and wherein said display programexecutes processing for specifying said network equipment by collectingidentification information for identifying said network equipment,informing said information program of the collected identificationinformation and causing the display of said partial map informed by saidinformation program on said network equipment.